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Rice Basketball Recruiting: F Evan Cochran commits to Owls

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Rice basketball has its third commitment of the 2025 recruiting class. Forward Evan Cochran from Houston has committed to the Owls.

Tuesday was a good day to be an Owl. The 2025 Rice Basketball recruiting class tripled in size, building on an initial pledge from guard Cameron Carroll from South Grand Prairie the Owls added a pair of new commitments, including a big one from forward Evan Cochran from The Village School right here in Houston, Texas.

Cochran picked Rice over a growing list of interested suitors. He had offers from Wichita State, Nevada, George Mason, Marshall, UTSA and others before deciding he wouldn’t be going very far from home at all to play his college ball.

“I really felt like the academic part of Rice was a fit for me, as well as the great coaching staff, the community, the campus, and more,” Cochran told The Roost. “I love the style of play Coach Lanier likes to play with, as it fits how I play the game as a player. I was impressed with the connection the coaches had with each other as well as with the players.”

Standing 6-foot-8, Cochran brings some size and physicality to a class that started with shooters. That’s something he says values highly and hopes to bring with him to campus.

“I take a lot of pride in rebounding and defense, which is especially something I improved on a lot over the summer,” he said. “Playing on the PRO16 circuit allowed me to compete with the best big men in the country and hold my own against them with defense and rebounding.

Cochran comes on board the same day as guard Boden Howell. Along with the aforementioned Carroll, the 2025 class now sits at three members, all from the high school ranks.

More: Rice Basketball 2024 Roster Tracker

It’s one thing to be big, lots of athletes have that going for them. It’s another to be able to use that size to your advantage which is something that sticks out when you turn on Cochran’s film. He looks comfortable on the court and is aware of how to position himself for maximum impact as both a shooter and a rebounder, a strong foundation as he grows into the collegiate player head coach Rob Lanier and staff believe he will be.

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: G Boden Howell commits to Owls

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Rice basketball has its second commitment of the 2025 recruiting class. Guard Boden Howell has committed to the Owls.

After a flurry of portal additions to ready the 2024-2025 roster, Rice Basketball has turned its attention to the future and the high school recruiting front. Roughly a week removed from the commitment of guard Cameron Carroll from South Grand Prairie the Owls have added a pair of new commitments, the first from guard Boden Howell of Meridian, Idaho.

Howell is a 6-foot-4 shooting guard who picked up an offer from the University of South Dakota the same week as he received his Rice basketball offer in late July. Active in the AAU circuit, Howell got onto the Rice radar and stayed there. Howell averaged 20.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists as a junior last season, leading his team to a state championship where he earned All-State Tournament honors.

Howell comes on board the same day as forward Evan Cochran from The Village School in Houston. Along with the aforementioned Carroll, the 2025 class now sits at three members, all from the high school ranks.

More: Rice Basketball 2024 Roster Tracker

The highlights have everything you want to see from a guard of Howell’s size, particularly the athleticism and how well he moves on the court. He can score off the dribble and on the drive, facilitates well to his teammates and is an experienced marksman from the outside. He’s a versatile player who plays the game with a high IQ and shoot fit in well with how coach Rob Lanier and company want to operate on the court.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 184 – Rice Football routs Texas Southern

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Rice football bounced back in a big way, taking down Texas Southern for their first win of the 2024 season. Let’s reminisce together.

Everyone is feeling much better after Rice football got back into the win column with a complete dismantling of Texas Southern in Week 2. How much can we take away from a win over an FCS opponent and what questions do we still need to be answered from this team as they prepare to defend the Bayou Bucket? We talked about it all on this week’s show.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 184.

Episode Notes

DCTF

The Roost Podcast is now part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner.

Homefield

We’re thrilled to partner with Homefield Apparel, the premier proprietor of college football clothing. First-time buyers can use the code ROOST for 15% off their order. The Owls hoodie is a personal favorite as is the Luv-Ya-Owls shirt. Make sure you check out the brand-new sailor hat (pictured below) as you shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!

Patreon

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Recapping Rice Football vs Texas Southern

  • The offensive line gets back on track
  • Nitpicking the passing game
  • Mad scientist Brian Smith has a field day
  • Enoch Gota saves the day on special teams
  • Is this team headed in the right direction once more?

Where can you find us?

The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Rice Football 2024: NFL Owls Week 1 Roundup

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Rice Football is well represented on 2024 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action in Week 1.

There are former Rice football players scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.

Team NFL Owl(s) This Week Result Next Week
Detroit Lions Jack Fox (P) vs Rams W,  26-20 (OT) vs Bucs
Indianapolis Colts Kylen Granson (TE) vs Texans L, 29-27 at Packers
Pittsburgh Steelers Chris Boswell (PK) at Falcons W, 18-10 at Broncos
New England Patriots Nick Leverett (OL) at Bengals W, 16-10 vs Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks Myles Adams (DL) vs Broncos W, 26-20 at Patriots
Washington Commanders Luke McCaffrey (WR) at Bucs L, 37-20 vs Giants

Offense

Luke McCaffrey – WR, Commanders

McCaffrey caught all three of his targets for 18 yards in his NFL debut including a long reception of 10 yards. He led all Commanders receivers in yardage, topped only by running backs Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr. as well as tight end Zach Ertz.

Nick Leverett – OL, Patriots

Leverett was active and played four snaps on special teams in the Patriots’ Week 1 win over the Bengals.

Kylen Granson – TE, Colts

Granson was only targeted once in the Colts’ Week 1 loss to the Texans. He did not haul in the pass.

Defense

Myles Adams – DL, Seahawks

Adams was inactive for the Seahawks’ Week 1 game against the Broncos.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox was impressive in his Sunday Night Football performance. He punted four balls for 230 yards, an average of 57.5 yards per punt with a long of 67 yards. Two of his four kicks were downed inside the 20 yard line as the Lions topped the Rams in overtime.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

The Steelers scored 18 points on Sunday. Chris Boswell accounted for all of them himself, draining kicks of 51, 56 and 57 yards in the process. He was perfect on his way to becoming the first kicker in franchise history to make at least three kicks from 50 yards away or longer.

More Owls in the NFL

From practice squads to current free agents, there are other Owls on the cusp of returning to active rosters. Find more detail on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.

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Rice Football 2024 Game Preview: Houston

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Rice football takes on Houston across town this week. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

The battle for the Bayou Bucket is back as both Rice football and crosstown rival Houston look build momentum prior to conference play with a rivalry win. Rice (1-1) dispatched Texas Southern in Week 2 after falling to Sam Houston in Week 1. Houston (0-2) dropped their first home game to UNLV before falling in a close one on the road to Oklahoma in Week 2. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and Houston.

Kickoff time | 7:00 PM CT
Venue | TDECU Stadium – Houston, TX
TV | ESPN+ (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs Houston on this week’s episode of the Blue and Gray Preview Show, kicking off live on Wednesday at 12:00 pm on the Rice Athletics YouTube channel. Look for a recap of the game on the site afterward as well as on The Roost Podcast, which should be released early next week.

Sizing up the contenders

Oddsmakers projected Rice to go 2-1 in their first three games of the season but that assumed a win over Sam Houston and a loss to Houston. If the Owls can upset the Cougars they’ll be back to par on the year with another marquee win under head coach Mike Bloomgren. Rice hasn’t won the Bayou Bucket in consecutive seasons since 2000 and 2001.

Houston had won seven consecutive games in this rivalry before dropping the contest last year, eventually leading to the dismissal of head coach Dana Holgerson. New head coach Willie Fritz will have some time to get his house in order, but an 0-3 start with a loss to a Group of 5 rival would be a tough pill to swallow for even the most faithful supporters.

Series History

All Time | Houston leads, 33-12
Last Five | Houston leads, 4-1
Last Meeting | Home 2023, Rice won 43-41 (2OT)

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Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Warner – 47/74 (63.5 percent), 416 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
Rushing | Connors – 21 carries, 165 yards (7.9 yards per carry), 4 TD / Atkins – 13 carries, 95 yards (7.3 yards per carry), 2 TD
Receiving | Sykes – 8 receptions, 121 yards (15.1 yds/rec), 1 TD / Walker – 6 receptions, 72 yards (12.0 yds/rec), 1 TD / Connors – 13 receptions, 64 yards (4.9 yds/rec) 
Tackles | Pearcy/Taylor – 9 / Flowers, Awe, Green, Morris – 8
Pass Breakups | Pearcy/Green/Ahoia/Jean/Fresch – 1 each
Interceptions | Flowers/Williams – 1

Houston Stat Notables

Passing | Smith – 39/58 (67.2 percent), 395 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing | Sneed – 13 carries, 36 yards (2.8 yards per carry) / Sanford II – 11 carries, 33 yards (3.0 yards per carry)
Receiving | Johnson Jr. – 8 receptions, 89 yards (11.1 yds/rec) / Mews – 8 receptions, 80 yards (10.0 yds/rec) / Manjack IV – 6 receptions, 79 yards (13.2 yds/rec), 2 TD
Tackles | Haulcy/Batton – 16 / Morris – 12 / Webb – 11
Pass Breakups | Haulcy/McCutchin – 2, McLaurin/Davis – 1
Interceptions |  Haulcy/Wilson – 1

Houston X-Factor | Hit the big play

Quarterback Donovan Smith has been up and down so far this season, completing 67.2 percent of his passes but much of that success hasn’t happened down the field. Smith is 76th in the country in yards per attempt, narrowly edging Florida State’s DJ Uiagalelei, for reference. Houston ranks outside of the top 100 college football offenses in 30+ yard plays from scrimmage (two) and 10+ yard plays from scrimmage (21). 

The level of competition has to be factored into this assessment, but even still, it’s been a slog for this offense. The defense has done its part, holding opponents to just four offensive touchdowns across two games. The Cougars don’t have the capital to assume they can nickel and dime the Rice defense down the field. They need to generate some big plays.

Houston has some playmakers, Joseph Manjack IV chief among them. They’re going to need to get some chunk plays and help their quarterback out otherwise the Cougars’ offense will be in for another long day at the office against a Rice defensive front that looked much more capable last time out.

Rice X-Factor | Win on third down

The single most important factor in the Owls’ upset bid a year ago was their fast start. Rice football led 28-0 before Houston was able to get its feet under them and that large advantage was orchestrated by clinical precision on third down. Rice started the game 5-of-6 on third down, keeping Houston off the field and working the clock. Houston had just four drives in the first half, excluding a kneel-down in the final seconds of regulation.

That’s the script the Owls will try to replicate to earn another Bayou Bucket win. Scoring fast would go a long way to making sure Rice sets itself up in a favorable position to spring the upset, but even if the offense doesn’t come out with a deluge of points, they can keep the game on schedule and force a lackluster Houston offense to trade punches. That’s not something the Cougars have proven themselves capable of doing under Fritz so far.

Houston has a talented roster, but this version of the Cougars isn’t better than the team the Owls beat a year ago. Rice has to enter TDECU with a commitment to setting the tone and playing with the level of physicality they did last Saturday. Being opportunistic on third down would go a long way to demonstrating that on the field. 

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One Final Thing

I wrote that Rice football “spent all its goodwill” it accrued this offseason when the Owls lost to Sam Houston in their opening game. That defeat didn’t get more palatable when the Bearkats turned around and lost handily to Central Florida in Week 2. However, a take-care-of-business win against Texas Southern in Week 2 brings Rice to an intriguing crossroads in Week 3: a winnable game against a rival with plenty on the line.

Houston pushed to do away with the later portion of the scheduled games in this rivalry during the offseason. As of now, the 2025 game is the last one on the calendar for these teams for the foreseeable future. Every opportunity to keep that trophy on South Main matters that much more given those circumstances. Likewise, every win is more important when the preseason aspirations for this team suggested they were a squad capable of going toe-to-toe with a rebuilding Houston team that hasn’t done much to dispel those prognostications.

Losing this game doesn’t directly impact the Owls’ quest for a conference championship and Rice football will probably learn a lot more about how realistic those ambitions are in their following game against Army (2-0). But ask any Rice fan you know, this game matters so much more. It’s a rivalry game against a beatable opponent in a year in which Rice is supposed to be cresting, not treading water. It’s a game the Owls need to find a way to win.

Win big. Win ugly. Win in overtime. It doesn’t matter. Just win. Win and we can sort out the how and why later. Win and and nobody will bring up the Sam Houston game again because that will be written off as an early season hiccup on the way to bigger and better things. 

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